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100% Freshly Ground Organic Whole Wheat Sourdough Boule

100% Freshly Ground Organic Whole Wheat Sourdough Boule

I made up the dough for this bread right after I milled the organic whole wheat. The ingredients are just finely ground organic whole wheat, water, salt, sourdough starter. It tastes sweet, nutty & sour with a wonderful crispy crust.

The crumb isn't as holey as I'd like -- I am jealous of some whole wheat sourdough boule photos here lol. So I didn't bother with the crumb shot. It only has a a small number of gas pockets here and there. On the other hand it is really good for sandwiches which we use it for all the time as well.

This is a beautiful whole grain loaf. Crust color is very nice and the scoring really adds texture to the overall loaf. Holes aren't all they are made out to be - lots of food stuff fall through them :-O

Thanks a lot for the compliment, and getting me interested in freshly milled whole grain foods to begin with! I got lucky and scored a free $700 or so flour mill from my boyfriend's mother--it was her mother's that she had got new in 1949 (they still make them).

Okay, how I made this. I pulled 950 grams of 80% hydration whole wheat dough from my sourdough bin--no knead dough--that was in the fridge for 2 days after doubling up on the counter. I folded it once and pulled the dough into a ball. I then dropped the ball of dough into my container of flour coating it thoroughly, then placed it into a 7" round wooden banneton (that was lined with rice flour), and covered with a flour sack cloth.

After 2 hours I started up the oven and preheated a 3 1/2 quart non-enameled Paula Deen covered cast iron casserole pan --along with the lid--on 450F for about 40 minutes.

I put cornmeal on the loaf in the banneton, then flipped it into the very hot preheated cast iron pan. I scored it about 3/4" deep with a sharp boning knife. I put the lid on it and baked at 450F for 25 minutes. I then took the lid off and baked another 5 minutes.

(Basically a modified No-Knead recipe, using sourdough starter instead of commercial yeast, a longer ferment, and using a banneton instead of a bowl.)

Thanks so much for your detailed instructions. I really appreciate it. Does the bread deflate (if that word conveys what I mean) when you are moving it from the banneton to the hot pot? I am very eager to try your method; I've wanted a way to make crusty bread at home, and your loaf is the best one I've seen baked in that way.

Thanks. Gravity pulls down the loaf a little after I put it in the pan but not by that much since the banneton holds it really upright for the couple of hours that it rises. Also the crust is more dry than the inside which helps hold it upright.

Okay, so I baked another loaf today (with the same batch of dough that was in the fridge that I used on the last one posted here). I cut it in half after about 1 1/2 hours (too soon I know) and here is the crumb shot. This is about how most of my crumb looks for these freshly ground organic whole wheat sourdough boules that I bake:

Large holes in the crumb and 100% whole meal breads are not the greatest of partners. You made a nice looking whole meal bread and you should be very happy about that. Try to not get hung up on this 'big hole in the crumb' thing that is appropriate for certain breads and most definitely not all.

I second that. I bake 100% ww sandwich loaves ~every 5 days and usually get a small cavity or two where my shaping/rolling wasn't perfect. When we slice those loaves and I see a hole like that, I'm amused that here in a sandwich loaf it's a defect through which my wife's plum jam may escape, whereas in our table batards, boules and miches, an open crumb is the hole-ly grail. Different crumbs for different loaves.

When I see 70+% WW loaves in Tartine or Flour,Water,Yeast,Salt with yawning alveoli, I hear voices muttering Photoshop, Photoshop, Photoshop... It can be done, but don't lose sleep over it. Enjoy that beautiful bread you've made.

Let me know how it goes. If you need any help with anything, I'll be glad to offer assistance. It took me a while to figure out things here and there to be able to make a decent loaf--and I have a long ways to go to learn how to be a really good baker. You only keep getting better :)

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